In three years, around 244 people passed through the Protected Landscape of Fonte da Benémola, in the municipality of Loulé, according to data from a meter installed on site.
In a partnership between the Municipality and the company Upnorth, this solution allowed, according to the Loulé City Council, «to obtain information that will now help to understand the importance of this space in terms of tourist potential, improving the management of the place, for example with regard to the frequency of collection of waste at different times of the year or the strengthening of surveillance for safety reasons'.
On the other hand, «these will be important information in promotional terms and in attracting new projects and investments to Fonte da Benémola», he adds.
The municipality gives the example of tourist entertainment companies that "will be able to get to know the periods of greater affluence and the impact of the weather on the levels of visit".
In this sense, according to the data provided by the accountant, the number of people who traveled to Benémola on foot (236.840) is much higher than the cyclists who came here in this period (7.696). Regarding the distribution of the number of visitors throughout the year, it is in the summer months, July and August, that the largest number of people in this Protected Landscape is verified, whether pedestrians or cyclists. However, in relation to the latter, there is also a strong presence in the month of March, at the beginning of spring.
It is during the weekend, especially on Sunday, during the morning, that the highest levels of affluence were recorded. Precipitation and temperature do not demobilize either pedestrians or cyclists in this place, according to data recorded so far.
It should also be noted that it was in March and April 2020, coinciding with the beginning of the pandemic and social confinement, that led many people to start practicing outdoor sports and looking outside for walks and bike rides, which the highest peak of visitors was recorded.
All these data were presented by the municipal technician Clara Fernandes at the III Forum Cyclin' Portugal, which took place on the 25th and 26th of March, in Castelo de Vide/Marvão. In addition to the visitor count system (pedestrians and cyclists) in the Fonte da Benémola Local Protected Landscape, the Cyclin' Portugal Loulé Center was also presented. In partnership with the Portuguese Cycling Federation, this project, which is already underway in inland areas, aims to attract sports and leisure tourism to these places.
It is a network of routes that will include 3 “gates”, that is, points of departure and arrival of the routes: Loulé, Alte and Ameixial, making a total of 20 routes and approximately 900 cycling kilometers. At the moment, the physical and permanent marking of the places is being carried out, with the placement of a pole and specific signage.
Located in the Querença Parish Union, Tôr Benafim, the Local Protected Landscape of Fonte da Benémola extends over 392 hectares. In the middle of the Algarve barrocal, this area is crossed by the Menalva stream, supplied by springs that allow it to have water throughout the year and thus harbor a rich and diverse flora and fauna.
«The dissemination of natural and cultural values, as well as their preservation, are fundamental for the development of a more sustainable tourism in the Municipality. In addition to benefiting local communities, the dynamism of these spaces also allows for the diversification of the offer, leading to job creation through the emergence of another type of tourist entertainment companies. These instruments such as the visitor counter in Benémola or the Cyclin' project are part of the path we are building», emphasizes the mayor Vítor Aleixo.
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